I think it’s a solid movie but it’s true it got lost in the era. Dead Silence is a pretty solid story that’s not trying to be anything. That endless loop of revenge is actually pretty devastating. No one wins, there’s no hope or chance to end it. It always hurts when Jamie finds out his wife was pregnant and that’s why she was killed. Because his family had to keep paying for past sins even when they were justified in their actions.
Shidofied I felt like the one they used in the trailers had a better sound to it: “Beware the stare of Mary Shaw She had no children, only dolls. And if you see her, do not scream Or she’ll rip your tongue out at the seam.”
I think its pretty underrated. You managed to take a Goosebumps character and turn him even more creepy. And just like Saw, you get a memorable twist ending along with the score.
Dead Silence's twist ending is so well done that I think it would've been more than worthy of being accompanied by Saw's iconic "Hello Zepp" theme that plays in every finale when Jigsaw's larger scheme is finally revealed. Every time I see, hear, or read a quality psychological mind-f*** in pretty much any genre, that music plays in my head. It's just such a masterfully crafted theme that is simultaneously unique to Saw while also being applicable in any fitting twist moment. 🤯
@@Justmyhandle I had no idea it wasn't recieved well. I saw it late and enjoyed it. They still managed to make a decent horror film with whatever problems they had. They pulled it off.
@@jwnj9716 Agreed, I remember seeing it in theaters back in 2007 with my dad (I think he was with me). I believe I would've been 15 at the time, given that I was born in 1991. To this day, I've yet to see a creepier take on ventriloquist dummy horror. While I wouldn't necessarily call it the best entry in the "doll horror" sub-genre ever made (Ex- It didn't leave the same impact on my childhood as the Child's Play films), it definitely ranks among my top 5 for the concept hands down. Like Ryan said in the video, Dead Silence likely would've stood a better chance of higher critical success if not for its time of release + its competition that year. It's one of those cases where a movie just doesn't get the best odds. Ryan also made a good point that the success of the Saw franchise, which would lead to its critical downfall as sequels were expected to be annually churned out, led to this gem which could've become its own brand being left behind. If Dead Silence were hypothetically rebooted or remade today with Leigh Whannell & James Wan once again at the helm, having creative freedom + a larger budget without studio oppression, it would probably be a hit. Sigh, maybe someday...
Sort of dumb that the very town who turned against Mary Shaw and lynched her also respectfully granted her will and turned her into a doll after her death
The atmosphere and scares are definitely what makes this film. Shame the story didn't make more sense as you pointed out, but even with that, going into it blind, I think it's a solid watch at least once.
Funny thing is... Wan and Whannell ended up working with Blumhouse on their next project Insidious. I honestly think they needed a producer like Blum to give this the creative freedom it needed.
@SPACEY VR GAMER Blumhouse had made some good movies. Their Halloween reboot being their best. It's unfortunate that they make a lot of garbage though.
Like you said, it's not a perfect film but there is something weirdly pure about it. I love it when James Wan does horror and you can see his style all over it, a very new and inexperienced style. I personally love the film. I love the scares and it's gothic macabre atmosphere and visuals. Even if some of the effects haven't aged well.
The perfect doll reveal-ending of Dead Silence, and Ethan Hawke's character in sinister drinking the coffee and noticing, too late, he was drugged are two moments where I audibly said, "OH SHIT!" in a theatre. Two of my favorite gut punch, horror endings. Not depressing, like The Mist, but hand-over mouth, legitimately startling....
Sinister agreed with lol. I did that in the first Insidious when the little boy man is in the corner when Rose Byrne's character was going to do laundry.
@@Pewpewpew182 I love this channel, but I think I'm more of the traditional pretentious film consumer. I don't like jumpscares and I have very little tolerance for bullshit unless I grew up with it or something. But the jumpscares in Insidious are masterfully done, as they also are in Dead Silence. I think jumpscares annoy me when I see them coming but they still get me, but that's not present in Wan's best films. He just has a way of genuinely terrifying me even though in Insidious I found myself getting pulled outta the film by things that, looking back, were probably intentional. The leads are pretty good but at times the dialogue and logic at parts in the story are a bit eh, but I think that's what he was going for since he was almost trying to make like an epic scale ghost story. And goddamn does it deliver, it feels like a grown up version of Scary Stories "jump stories" section. He just builds and builds and builds and, then he hits you with this barrage of terror, it's legit fun and exciting and actually unsettling at the same time. Even Conjuring 2 was pretty good at that and I thought that had a convoluted story and at times unlikable characters, but it doesn't even matter when the scares are being crafted the whole time you are watching through clever camera work and other expert movie magic I can't even begin to explain.
YESSSSSSS for me sinister left me kinda mad because had they stayed in their house, he wouldn't have been poisoned....but the ending left me wanting more, mainly because of bughuul & the fact that I generally don't like horror movies with no survivors (because I like it when survivors go on to educate/warn others about their experience) however, dead silence's ending left me depressed because: the main character died and that was the end of the movie, I didn't fully understand/grasp the final ending reveal (at the time), & it made me WANT a prequel AND a sequel (kinda left me empty wanting more bc aside from Saw no other horror movie in that time hit the notes quite like D.S.) UNTIL Insidious came out
Thank you!!! Walhburg’s character’s death pisses me off to this day. Utter waste of a death scene. To your point, however, the fastest way they could have fixed this movie would have been to focus it around the step-mom’s tragedy and make her a more complicit villain. Basically, she (as a regular person) invokes/re-awakens the curse of Mary Shaw in revenge for the father’s treatment of her only to become consumed by it, leaving Mary as a more a unstoppable force doing what she’s been cursed to do.
"Is not nearly as bad as critics and the creators would have you believe" - ya know what? I completely agree with that. It's a good movie. It has some flaw, sure, but still really good and a nice display of talent, for both Whannell and Wan. A nice prelude for things to come, beautifully shot, creepy as hell and it has heart, something in short supply on horror for the past 20 years.
I love those kinds of endings. Showing that, despite everything, the evil endures is a powerful motif in the genre because it disrupts the notion we like to entertain that good always wins, breaking our comfort zone however briefly or subconsciously. Does this movie have the best example of this idea? That is debatable.
Now that you mention it..they could have used that as a plot device. something along the lines of: "she humiliated him so much, that he got bullied until he commited suicide and then the town (although they were the bullies) blamed her for his death"
I love this movie so damn much. I always use it when I hear the argument that you can't make a good movie out of a bad script. James Wan had a terrible script on his hands and he directed the hell out of it so well that he made it good. The final twist is so over the top stupid that it circles back around to being mind blowing. This movie is like a top tier Roger Corman/William Castle movie in modern times.
@@Maurrokhright on!!! What a relief to read someone thought the same!!! I was honestly bracing for impact in anticipation of the response I might get. Thank you for being kind!
I honestly think the movie is very entertaining and terrifying, I remember watching this movie when I was younger and it freaked me out as a kid more than just about many other horror movie.
I always thought the doll was alive and evil. Every time I watch it, the scene with her being heckled, she looks scared when looking down at her Billy puppet. It seems like while on stage she was really fighting for control.
There was a random poster of it when it came out near my house and for months I’d straight up avoid the street it was on cus I got scared. The detour was worth it.
Movies like paranormal activity, sinister and insidious gave appeal to the younger generation for thoughtful horror, they were done so perfectly that it really made figuring out the story scary. This was one of the first more thoughtful horror movies I had seen as a teen and it really sparked my interest in more psychological films and stories rather than the cheap jumpscare shit I watched growing up
@@iangallagher4135 I don't know how well The Conjuring holds up today. But I realized that Insidious is straight up garbage. Saw it also recently with some friends, and the movie looks like shit. It has such a low budget look to it. Also, now that I'm actually an adult (and not a pre-teen that gets startled with everything) no jump-scare actually "got me", nor any of my friends. Even the infamous Darth Maul one shown in this video really comes off as cheesy and not impactful. In fact, when that scene played we all just started fucking laughing (as we had all played it up to an absurd degree in our minds) I suggest you also watch movies that as a teen really spooked you. It demystifies them completely. I remember really being afraid of random shadows in my house, or afraid that when brushing my teeth that something would be in the mirror when looking back up, or that something was behind the curtain, or that a fucking nun was walking up and down the corridors. It was a really enlightening experience to see how susceptible I was to crappy jump-scares back in the day.
Dead Silence was one of those movies that really freaked me out and left me creeped out after I watched it. From the movie poster to the story unfolding, I was enjoying every second of it. Deserved so much more than it received.
This movie spooked me good as a young teen back when. But I always thought it's interesting rules were neglected. Scream and you die is a pretty good concept. But the characters even after figuring this out never have the forethought to duct tape their mouths shut or the like. Hell I can picture someone intentionally breaking their jaw and having it wired shut just to combat the spectre. Like imagine the hero does that and then returns home after recovering only to finally scream at the end. I really like monsters who get you via a common human behavior like inviting people inside or sleeping. Screaming being the 'and now you're dead' fail for a horror movie is conceptually brillaint but none of the characters try interesting counters the ghost would then have to workaround. Okay movie with some creepy visuals but a great concept I hope someone does more with later. 'Scream and you die' is just such a great idea for a monster actively trying to spook you.
This is one of my favorite horror films; that's not a guilty pleasure. The only problem I have is I'm still unsure whether I like or am disappointed by the ending.
Anne, maybe your ambivalence about the ending is what keeps you interested. Some of my favorite movies are those I'm unsure about, calling me back for further study. As far as guilty pleasures go, I see enough merit in Dead Silence to spare it that fate. You want a guilty pleasure? Attack of the 50-Foot Woman (1958). I love it.
@@fredmorrison2635 I freaking ADORE Attack of the 50-Foot Woman, and I don't feel a kernel of guilt about that!! 😄 The goofy effects, the obvious doll of the guy that she shakes to make it seem like he's struggling, it gives me warm and fuzzy Ed Wood Lugosi-fighting-a-rubber-octopus vibes 😁
I have seen a video about the secret concept that was cut out from the theatrical version. Like the Mary Show was kind of a demiurge, and all the characters from this story, were her puppets.
At the end does Mark Wahlberg discover his puppet nature - that he is merely consciousness in a thing which should never have been conscious - and as his puppet-mouth howls in despair this tawdry, sham reality is cast aside like a pile of old clothes revealing the endless, fetid carnival of being? Asking for a friend.
I remember the "reveal" that Mary Shaw was more or less exactly what she was accused of being a bit odd but kind of welcome at the time. As you say, the tragic villain was a pretty well-worn trope, enough that it felt like an intentional subversion. Looking back it reminds me of a certain episode of Inside No 9 ("Private View"), where a big part of the horror is that the killer's motives and actions don't quite marry up with reality. The idea of a vengeful enemy that's so bitter and angry that they don't *care* whether they're in the right or not is quite appealing, because understanding their motives doesn't allow you to reason with them.
Amazing analysis as always! I think you absolutely nail the thing that makes Dead Silence work for me, it truly doesn't try to be anything more than what it is, so you end up with a movie that's legitimately fun to watch with tidbits of lore that keep you engaged without dragging the little story there is. It's just charming in its own fucked up way.
Yeah man its nuts , a song from the soundtrack popped up on my spotify - I remembered it existed , watched it and then Ryan posted this all in the same week!
Always thought this was an underrated movie, saw this as a kid and it absolutely terrified me. The idea of not being able to scream, the final twist ending and the horror of the protagonist finally breaking down and screaming after everything he has been through finally catching up with him are all highlights for me. Yeah the story doesnt make much sense but i always prioritize how the movie makes me feel when it comes to horror. Its about how the movie leaves you after watching it and this movie definitely gives you a feeling of hopelessness when its all over, as if nothing we do in life means anything, the sins of our forefathers always catch up and so we must pay with our own blood.
I thought it was a damn fine movie myself. I watched stuff like Hellraiser, Phantasm, etc. as a small child so I'm pretty much desensitized, but there were moments of Dead Silence that genuinely creeped me out. A hidden gem of a horror movie for sure. I say check it out.
This was the first horror I ever saw, when I was about 7 years old. Naturally, a lot of the writing and story went over my head so it didn’t bother me that it didn’t make sense. But the scary bits, while they gave me nightmares for weeks, reeled me in to being the obsessed horror junkie I am today. For that reason, I have and always will love this movie.
I agree with what he said about the story of Mary being the villain. I thought the dad being a puppet the whole time was really cool tho, I guess maybe they needed to elaborate on that part more as it kinda came out of nowhere by the end
@@EAPK12 that's pretty much where my problem was. I thought it was a neat idea but because there wasn't enough behind it, (like character investment/plot hints etc) I had too many questions about it/the 'perfect puppet' wife lady for it to be a tidy conclusion (I know they were going to leave enough of an opening for sequels, but I wasn't aware of that at the time 😅)
Well since you asked: eraserhead, terrifier, Noroi the curse, hell house trilogy Also wolf house 2018 but I haven’t seen it yet so I don’t know if it’s any good.
I remember my older sister watching this all the time with her friends in our basement. Always scared the shit outta me so i only saw bits and pieces back then but now it always has a nostalgic place in my heart
When i was a kid, I was terrified of this movie based on the trailers alone. When I finally watched this movie as an adult I realized it was nowhere near as scary as I thought it was, but I still loved the movie for it's atmosphere and monster design. I actually did a first impressions review on it on Facebook at the time because I loved it so much.
I still remember the scene where the step-mother makes the father talk, but I don't remember the title of the movie most of the time. I think it suffice to explain the best trait and worst flaw of this movie.
Omg. Stay Alive has just been buried and forgotten. I loved it as a kid. Frankie Munez character screaming, "that's cheating! I haven't even died yet!" still cracks me up when I think about it.
Liked the movie a lot when it came out. I can not stress enough how important it is for this movie to be watched with a good 5.1 sound system in the dark.
i felt like i was the only one that genuinely liked this movie when it first came out. i’m afraid of dolls soooo i guess that’s why edit: wow thank you guys for the likes omg. keep this conversation going! tell me your thoughts
User2758 it’s so underrated! it takes A LOT to scare me but this ONE movie about freaking dolls freaks me out every time. it reminds me of night of the living dummy. the cover of the original ones with slappy til this day gives me nightmares
This was the first horror movie I saw in theaters and it will forever give me goosebumps. When the sound completely cuts the whole crowd was silent, it was a really powerful experience.
I enjoyed this film for what it was, especially for the time it came out. It reminds me of the movie, Stay Alive, where it's not great but it has aesthetically pleasing scenes and villains that you remember. I still remember the Mary Shaw rhyme, and that parlor scene where the little boy knocks over her dead body still haunts me.
reminds me of the goosebumps slappy series. i only read like 5 of them, but my favorite part was when the dummy was threatening the kid by strangling their family dog nearly to death. i also loved the themes of fear from childhood when your parents and adults at large wouldn't believe a single thing you said - you were guilty before proven innocent, even though the world was such a terrifying place when you're so helpless. i know a lot of people think goosebumps books are cheesy and stupid, i think they're all lit and i plan on rereading every single one at some point.
So Mary Shaw has a backstory that's very similar backstory to the original Freddy Krueger's backstory in that she was killed by the townspeople for killing a kid even though no evidence was found. In the end, it turned out both of them were guilty of the crime and just psychopaths, taking out any sympathy that could have been had for either of them. Nightmare On Elm Street succeeded though because their villain had a lot of charm to him, especially as the original series continued. Perhaps if they gave Mary a bit more of a charming/witty personality, it would have been different? She was a performer in life after all within the movie's context.
Honestly, I liked that Mary Shaw was guilty. I actually rarely enjoy stories where a ghost was innocent but became evil in death. Like, if you're gonna murder your murderer, that's one thing. But if seven generations later you're still killing random people, to me it feels like there's no point in having a backstory in the first place -- the motive is completely disconnected from the characters we're meant to care about, so why have one at all? At least in this there's a sense of tragedy in the textual acknowledgment that the victims we encounter are genuine innocents caught up in this irrational, unending bitterness of a cruel, violent person whose motive is both relevant and completely unsatisfactory. It's a better commentary on revenge, in my opinion.
I wouldn't mind seeing this as a franchise, maybe one or two more movies? I remember watching this with my cousin and clenching the chair I was sitting on whenever the scenes went quiet, its definitely one of my favorite ghost story films, the cinematography is gorgeous and gloomy and the score had a haunting childlike quality to it. Definitely worth a revisit.
I remember seeing this movie's poster in theaters when it came out when I was a kid It's called "El Titere" in spanish, the poster alone made me shit my pants back then.
I get it now that this movie may not be that scary, but as the first horror movie I ever watched it really scared me and to this day I have a big phobia of dolls. I still cannot keep my eyes on the screen whenever Billy is on.
Please, PLEASE review "Haute tension" directed by Alexandre Aja (Mirrors, Hills have eyes). It's a great and brutal film and deserves more recognition.
I'm stoked that you covered this one, this was a household classic while I was growing up and it's still one of my favorites, not just cuz of nostalgia goggles but I enjoy how weirdly stylized it is and all it's flaws add a specific charm I feel. I also kinda liked that Shaw was just a straight up, big headed bitch petty enough to kill a kid to make her fucked up doll. It makes it more scary-folklore feeling to me.
This movie made me overcome my fear of dolls. There were just so many of them that I had to be like ok I will never run into these things so I should be ok
I watched this a few years ago and thought that it was a nice change of pace from most horror films today. While still relying on jump scares, it still has genuinely creepy moments and scares solely from its atmosphere and with how easily Mary could fuck you over if she wanted to. The only thing I didn’t care for was the ending. You had it. He beat the ghost, the town was saved, and then you fuck it up with sequel bait. A very “last exorcism” type of ending if you will.
Unpopular opinion: I am really tired of this "villain is in fact the victim" thing. It is so overdone that the theme itself started to become a cliché. And I am glad some films like this do not follow the same path. Because some villains in real life are just evil for no apparent reason.
Horror movies were my childhood!I remember watching Dead silence on my laptop,in my bed while my mom was watching tv,so that I wouldn't get too scared.Good times,man...All my best memories from childhood are related to horror movies.I just ADORE your chanel!!!I hope the damn notification bell works well because I do not want to miss anything you post.
This movie is my cryptonite. Annabelle tries too hard with the whole Evil Doll stuff but this movie terrified me so much that even seeing it while scrolling through Netflix brings very unpleasant memories.
I haven't watched this movie in years but have always seemed to hold it in high regard due to the fact that it kickstarted my love for horror when i was 14 years old watching a scary movie in my room by myself at night for the very first time
So I just watched this video about an hour ago, and the look on Mary Shaw's face is still with me. Like, I'm still cautiously opening doors because of this video. I really agree that the atmosphere and horror design aspects of this film trump any story telling problems it has. I watched this for the first time when I was 20 and I still was on the lookout for Mary Shaw before I turned out all the lights that night.
Well, I saw this movie when I was I think 14 ? And the scenes with Marry Saw scared the living shit out of me for years. I had nightmare about it, I wish they would revisit this movie cause it has so much potential
I just recently found this channel and hit the subscribe button so fast I almost sprained my finger. I absolutely love ALL horror from schlocky to spellbinding. I used to own Dead Silence, I still might, and this movie creeps me the heck out. Ventriloquist dummies are legitimately creepy in their own right, but Mary Shaw was just so extra scary! And the twist was such a surprise, I definitely forgot about it til you mentioned it. I sort of wish I had rewatched it first. Lol.
The executive meddling was so bad Leigh Whannell vented a scathing review of his experience on his blog which has been removed. Would've been cathartic to read but we wouldn't have got Upgrade and The Invisible Man.
The real reason I like your channel so much is that I don't enjoy horror movies at all. I can barely watch any horror movies, yet through your videos I can get a large part of the movies.
I think it’s a solid movie but it’s true it got lost in the era. Dead Silence is a pretty solid story that’s not trying to be anything. That endless loop of revenge is actually pretty devastating. No one wins, there’s no hope or chance to end it.
It always hurts when Jamie finds out his wife was pregnant and that’s why she was killed. Because his family had to keep paying for past sins even when they were justified in their actions.
Beware the stare of Mary Shaw. She had no children, only dolls. And if you see her in your dreams, you mustn't ever scream.
I loved horror movies as a kid so I used to go around the school playground taunting kids with this 😅
I heard that in my head for like an hour that night when it came out
Shidofied I felt like the one they used in the trailers had a better sound to it:
“Beware the stare of Mary Shaw
She had no children, only dolls.
And if you see her, do not scream
Or she’ll rip your tongue out at the seam.”
Shaw and dolls do not rhyme!
@Shidofied So?
I think its pretty underrated. You managed to take a Goosebumps character and turn him even more creepy. And just like Saw, you get a memorable twist ending along with the score.
Plus I can't help but think of Messi the soccer player whenever I see the lead actor.
THE SCORE
Dead Silence's twist ending is so well done that I think it would've been more than worthy of being accompanied by Saw's iconic "Hello Zepp" theme that plays in every finale when Jigsaw's larger scheme is finally revealed. Every time I see, hear, or read a quality psychological mind-f*** in pretty much any genre, that music plays in my head. It's just such a masterfully crafted theme that is simultaneously unique to Saw while also being applicable in any fitting twist moment. 🤯
@@Justmyhandle I had no idea it wasn't recieved well. I saw it late and enjoyed it. They still managed to make a decent horror film with whatever problems they had. They pulled it off.
@@jwnj9716 Agreed, I remember seeing it in theaters back in 2007 with my dad (I think he was with me). I believe I would've been 15 at the time, given that I was born in 1991. To this day, I've yet to see a creepier take on ventriloquist dummy horror.
While I wouldn't necessarily call it the best entry in the "doll horror" sub-genre ever made (Ex- It didn't leave the same impact on my childhood as the Child's Play films), it definitely ranks among my top 5 for the concept hands down.
Like Ryan said in the video, Dead Silence likely would've stood a better chance of higher critical success if not for its time of release + its competition that year. It's one of those cases where a movie just doesn't get the best odds.
Ryan also made a good point that the success of the Saw franchise, which would lead to its critical downfall as sequels were expected to be annually churned out, led to this gem which could've become its own brand being left behind.
If Dead Silence were hypothetically rebooted or remade today with Leigh Whannell & James Wan once again at the helm, having creative freedom + a larger budget without studio oppression, it would probably be a hit. Sigh, maybe someday...
Sort of dumb that the very town who turned against Mary Shaw and lynched her also respectfully granted her will and turned her into a doll after her death
Respect for the dead and all that. It’s a weird thing
RIGHT!
It was Henry who granted her will, not the town.
Yeah, @@DeathnoteBB, but hypocrisy seems to be a core component to being human. At least according to Hollywood anyways.
Yeah for real wtf
The atmosphere and scares are definitely what makes this film. Shame the story didn't make more sense as you pointed out, but even with that, going into it blind, I think it's a solid watch at least once.
I think this movie really oozes atmosphere, its one of the things that stuck with me all these years. I do wish the story was stronger tho
True this movie still creeps me out
Yeah I watched this movie a ton of times when I was younger, it gave off such a scary, lonely atmosphere
James Wan did a great job with mood and atmosphere in that film.
I promise you if this film was released as a blumhouse film it would be getting nothing but praise
Funny thing is... Wan and Whannell ended up working with Blumhouse on their next project Insidious. I honestly think they needed a producer like Blum to give this the creative freedom it needed.
@I drink your milkshake Half are, but then they pull out one that gets insanely positive reviews
@SPACEY VR GAMER Blumhouse had made some good movies. Their Halloween reboot being their best. It's unfortunate that they make a lot of garbage though.
@@Inurdot not a reboot though
Okay, but why the comma after nothing? "Nothing but praise" makes far more sense.
Like you said, it's not a perfect film but there is something weirdly pure about it.
I love it when James Wan does horror and you can see his style all over it, a very new and inexperienced style.
I personally love the film. I love the scares and it's gothic macabre atmosphere and visuals. Even if some of the effects haven't aged well.
The perfect doll reveal-ending of Dead Silence, and Ethan Hawke's character in sinister drinking the coffee and noticing, too late, he was drugged are two moments where I audibly said, "OH SHIT!" in a theatre.
Two of my favorite gut punch, horror endings. Not depressing, like The Mist, but hand-over mouth, legitimately startling....
Sinister agreed with lol.
I did that in the first Insidious when the little boy man is in the corner when Rose Byrne's character was going to do laundry.
@@Pewpewpew182 I love this channel, but I think I'm more of the traditional pretentious film consumer. I don't like jumpscares and I have very little tolerance for bullshit unless I grew up with it or something. But the jumpscares in Insidious are masterfully done, as they also are in Dead Silence. I think jumpscares annoy me when I see them coming but they still get me, but that's not present in Wan's best films. He just has a way of genuinely terrifying me even though in Insidious I found myself getting pulled outta the film by things that, looking back, were probably intentional. The leads are pretty good but at times the dialogue and logic at parts in the story are a bit eh, but I think that's what he was going for since he was almost trying to make like an epic scale ghost story. And goddamn does it deliver, it feels like a grown up version of Scary Stories "jump stories" section. He just builds and builds and builds and, then he hits you with this barrage of terror, it's legit fun and exciting and actually unsettling at the same time. Even Conjuring 2 was pretty good at that and I thought that had a convoluted story and at times unlikable characters, but it doesn't even matter when the scares are being crafted the whole time you are watching through clever camera work and other expert movie magic I can't even begin to explain.
Sinister was great if for no other reason than they used Ulver songs in the 'home video' vignettes.
YESSSSSSS for me sinister left me kinda mad because had they stayed in their house, he wouldn't have been poisoned....but the ending left me wanting more, mainly because of bughuul & the fact that I generally don't like horror movies with no survivors (because I like it when survivors go on to educate/warn others about their experience) however, dead silence's ending left me depressed because: the main character died and that was the end of the movie, I didn't fully understand/grasp the final ending reveal (at the time), & it made me WANT a prequel AND a sequel (kinda left me empty wanting more bc aside from Saw no other horror movie in that time hit the notes quite like D.S.) UNTIL Insidious came out
I love those hand-over-mouth moments.
Thank you!!! Walhburg’s character’s death pisses me off to this day. Utter waste of a death scene.
To your point, however, the fastest way they could have fixed this movie would have been to focus it around the step-mom’s tragedy and make her a more complicit villain. Basically, she (as a regular person) invokes/re-awakens the curse of Mary Shaw in revenge for the father’s treatment of her only to become consumed by it, leaving Mary as a more a unstoppable force doing what she’s been cursed to do.
"Is not nearly as bad as critics and the creators would have you believe" - ya know what? I completely agree with that.
It's a good movie. It has some flaw, sure, but still really good and a nice display of talent, for both Whannell and Wan.
A nice prelude for things to come, beautifully shot, creepy as hell and it has heart, something in short supply on horror for the past 20 years.
@Eyema Khum-Gussler I mean, you are entitled to your opinion.
This film is a gem, in the field of terror it does not give much, but the ending has considerable comic power.
I love those kinds of endings. Showing that, despite everything, the evil endures is a powerful motif in the genre because it disrupts the notion we like to entertain that good always wins, breaking our comfort zone however briefly or subconsciously. Does this movie have the best example of this idea? That is debatable.
The ending feels like it could have been in the twilight zone and I love it for that.
What makes Mary Shaw's motivation so strange for me is that she immediately came back at the kid and humiliated him through her skill.
Now that you mention it..they could have used that as a plot device. something along the lines of: "she humiliated him so much, that he got bullied until he commited suicide and then the town (although they were the bullies) blamed her for his death"
I love this movie so damn much. I always use it when I hear the argument that you can't make a good movie out of a bad script. James Wan had a terrible script on his hands and he directed the hell out of it so well that he made it good. The final twist is so over the top stupid that it circles back around to being mind blowing. This movie is like a top tier Roger Corman/William Castle movie in modern times.
The sarcasm of this comment highlights the gold of the richest millenials.
In case you haven't watched it yet, I have a hunch that you will absolutely enjoy Malignant.
@@Maurrokh I just watched Malignant the other day and it was,to me,a bit of a dark comedy.
@@ThiaJetNeYu Which Dead Silence was to me too 😅
@@Maurrokhright on!!! What a relief to read someone thought the same!!! I was honestly bracing for impact in anticipation of the response I might get. Thank you for being kind!
The visuals are giving me serious "Rose Red" vibes, which is a compliment. I'm loving the upload consistency.✌
I was really impressed by some of the scene transitions in this one.
Can you please do Rose Red as well.
shani perera he did
holy shit rose red
I honestly think the movie is very entertaining and terrifying, I remember watching this movie when I was younger and it freaked me out as a kid more than just about many other horror movie.
I always thought the doll was alive and evil. Every time I watch it, the scene with her being heckled, she looks scared when looking down at her Billy puppet. It seems like while on stage she was really fighting for control.
There was a random poster of it when it came out near my house and for months I’d straight up avoid the street it was on cus I got scared. The detour was worth it.
*Keep firing me requests for future videos below! ... Yes, The Lighthouse is getting a video very soon!* #DonnieDerservesBetter
Erm okay I guess...
Pink Floyd's The Wall or Night in the Woods after that?
Savageland
Man, you should do a video about Under the Shadow (2016). That movie was amazing!
What are your thoughts on House of 1000 corpses. Apologies if you have covered it already
Dead Silence is a true 00’s cult classic that will be remembered on the likes of Slither or Cabin Fever. It’s actually really solid and fun
Slither was fucking hilarious i could never take that movie seriously 😂😂🤣
@@TiffanyRay I mean we're talking about a haunted puppet scary face movie here to begin with.
@@TiffanyRay the dogs missing in the posters made my dad Lol.
Movies like paranormal activity, sinister and insidious gave appeal to the younger generation for thoughtful horror, they were done so perfectly that it really made figuring out the story scary. This was one of the first more thoughtful horror movies I had seen as a teen and it really sparked my interest in more psychological films and stories rather than the cheap jumpscare shit I watched growing up
I dunno, I wouldn’t put Sinister in the same group as Paranormal or Insidious. Sinister is more intense with such a gloomy sense of dread.
@@MonyXChan True but it had very similar psychological elements and somewhat of a story you cold unravel yourself before it threw it in your face
@@MonyXChan Honestly though I hold Sinister above the other two
Insidious likes to make people jump a bit. It's a great movie though.
@@MonyXChan Me too. You are using your head.
Me: However.
My friend: However.
Ryan: HIGH-EVER.
😂😂😂
It's a huge feature of the Belfast accent. 'How now brown cow' becomes 'hiyu niyu bryuun ciyoo'.
Hoy-ever
I actually liked dead silence more than any if the conjuring and insidious movies.
The first conjuring and insidious movies were good
User2758 I still like them both
I liked the first and second conjuring before Annabelle and the nun ruined everything
Dead silence is such an underratted movie, I loved the story and I agree it was better than Annabelle and the nun.
@@iangallagher4135 I don't know how well The Conjuring holds up today.
But I realized that Insidious is straight up garbage.
Saw it also recently with some friends, and the movie looks like shit.
It has such a low budget look to it.
Also, now that I'm actually an adult (and not a pre-teen that gets startled with everything)
no jump-scare actually "got me", nor any of my friends.
Even the infamous Darth Maul one shown in this video really comes off as cheesy and not impactful.
In fact, when that scene played we all just started fucking laughing (as we had all played it up to an absurd degree in our minds)
I suggest you also watch movies that as a teen really spooked you.
It demystifies them completely.
I remember really being afraid of random shadows in my house,
or afraid that when brushing my teeth that something would be in the mirror when looking back up,
or that something was behind the curtain,
or that a fucking nun was walking up and down the corridors.
It was a really enlightening experience to see how susceptible I was to crappy jump-scares back in the day.
Dead Silence was one of those movies that really freaked me out and left me creeped out after I watched it. From the movie poster to the story unfolding, I was enjoying every second of it. Deserved so much more than it received.
Dude I love this movie. I wish it did better
This movie spooked me good as a young teen back when. But I always thought it's interesting rules were neglected.
Scream and you die is a pretty good concept. But the characters even after figuring this out never have the forethought to duct tape their mouths shut or the like.
Hell I can picture someone intentionally breaking their jaw and having it wired shut just to combat the spectre.
Like imagine the hero does that and then returns home after recovering only to finally scream at the end.
I really like monsters who get you via a common human behavior like inviting people inside or sleeping. Screaming being the 'and now you're dead' fail for a horror movie is conceptually brillaint but none of the characters try interesting counters the ghost would then have to workaround.
Okay movie with some creepy visuals but a great concept I hope someone does more with later. 'Scream and you die' is just such a great idea for a monster actively trying to spook you.
This is one of my favorite horror films; that's not a guilty pleasure. The only problem I have is I'm still unsure whether I like or am disappointed by the ending.
Anne, maybe your ambivalence about the ending is what keeps you interested. Some of my favorite movies are those I'm unsure about, calling me back for further study. As far as guilty pleasures go, I see enough merit in Dead Silence to spare it that fate. You want a guilty pleasure? Attack of the 50-Foot Woman (1958). I love it.
@@fredmorrison2635 I freaking ADORE Attack of the 50-Foot Woman, and I don't feel a kernel of guilt about that!! 😄 The goofy effects, the obvious doll of the guy that she shakes to make it seem like he's struggling, it gives me warm and fuzzy Ed Wood Lugosi-fighting-a-rubber-octopus vibes 😁
Whoop whoop!! Spooky seasons officially started, bring the terrifying puppets!!!!
Annnnd it's gone :(
Where i live, the movie was just called “The puppet”.
Latin america?
El Títere a todo Gas.
Christian Gutiérrez yes
The idea of not being able to scream then such a teraffaing gohst and puppets aper is whe worst part of this move
I have seen a video about the secret concept that was cut out from the theatrical version.
Like the Mary Show was kind of a demiurge, and all the characters from this story, were her puppets.
At the end does Mark Wahlberg discover his puppet nature - that he is merely consciousness in a thing which should never have been conscious - and as his puppet-mouth howls in despair this tawdry, sham reality is cast aside like a pile of old clothes revealing the endless, fetid carnival of being?
Asking for a friend.
I remember the "reveal" that Mary Shaw was more or less exactly what she was accused of being a bit odd but kind of welcome at the time. As you say, the tragic villain was a pretty well-worn trope, enough that it felt like an intentional subversion.
Looking back it reminds me of a certain episode of Inside No 9 ("Private View"), where a big part of the horror is that the killer's motives and actions don't quite marry up with reality. The idea of a vengeful enemy that's so bitter and angry that they don't *care* whether they're in the right or not is quite appealing, because understanding their motives doesn't allow you to reason with them.
Amazing analysis as always! I think you absolutely nail the thing that makes Dead Silence work for me, it truly doesn't try to be anything more than what it is, so you end up with a movie that's legitimately fun to watch with tidbits of lore that keep you engaged without dragging the little story there is. It's just charming in its own fucked up way.
I've always considered Dead Silence a Marmite film.
You either like or you don't.
So all movies are marmite films then?
Largentina TM not exactly. There’s plenty of movies I’m lukewarm about. Like I don’t like nor dislike them. They’re just fine.
Man this movie is haunting me!! I watched it yesterday, my friend wouldn't shut up about it today and now you've posted about it 😂
Just don't scream in your dreams.
Yeah man its nuts , a song from the soundtrack popped up on my spotify - I remembered it existed , watched it and then Ryan posted this all in the same week!
Always thought this was an underrated movie, saw this as a kid and it absolutely terrified me. The idea of not being able to scream, the final twist ending and the horror of the protagonist finally breaking down and screaming after everything he has been through finally catching up with him are all highlights for me. Yeah the story doesnt make much sense but i always prioritize how the movie makes me feel when it comes to horror. Its about how the movie leaves you after watching it and this movie definitely gives you a feeling of hopelessness when its all over, as if nothing we do in life means anything, the sins of our forefathers always catch up and so we must pay with our own blood.
I thought it was a damn fine movie myself. I watched stuff like Hellraiser, Phantasm, etc. as a small child so I'm pretty much desensitized, but there were moments of Dead Silence that genuinely creeped me out. A hidden gem of a horror movie for sure. I say check it out.
This was the first horror I ever saw, when I was about 7 years old. Naturally, a lot of the writing and story went over my head so it didn’t bother me that it didn’t make sense. But the scary bits, while they gave me nightmares for weeks, reeled me in to being the obsessed horror junkie I am today. For that reason, I have and always will love this movie.
Wasn't a big fan of the ending...but I think this movie creeped me out more than it should have because of Goosebumps 😅.
Well done again, Sir!
The actress that plays the main villain. She's scarier than the dolls (and that comes from a pediophobic)
@@julianmartinez4719 yes 😫
I agree with what he said about the story of Mary being the villain. I thought the dad being a puppet the whole time was really cool tho, I guess maybe they needed to elaborate on that part more as it kinda came out of nowhere by the end
@@EAPK12 that's pretty much where my problem was. I thought it was a neat idea but because there wasn't enough behind it, (like character investment/plot hints etc) I had too many questions about it/the 'perfect puppet' wife lady for it to be a tidy conclusion (I know they were going to leave enough of an opening for sequels, but I wasn't aware of that at the time 😅)
Okay, I love these videos, and all the information you go over in them. On a completely separate note, I love your voice and accent.
Well since you asked: eraserhead, terrifier, Noroi the curse, hell house trilogy
Also wolf house 2018 but I haven’t seen it yet so I don’t know if it’s any good.
Seconded for Terrifier.
Fun fact the actor who plays Mary Shaw (the villain from Dead Silence) was actually in Eraserhead. She was the neighbor across the hall.
I remember my older sister watching this all the time with her friends in our basement. Always scared the shit outta me so i only saw bits and pieces back then but now it always has a nostalgic place in my heart
When i was a kid, I was terrified of this movie based on the trailers alone. When I finally watched this movie as an adult I realized it was nowhere near as scary as I thought it was, but I still loved the movie for it's atmosphere and monster design. I actually did a first impressions review on it on Facebook at the time because I loved it so much.
MY ALL TIME FAVORITE HORROR MOVIE!! It hits every mark on my horror movie checklist, I really really really wish/want a sequel PLEASE
you've kept me entertained the entirety of this wack year. thank you
Thanks for watching!!
@@RyanHollinger of course! I'll be watching as long as you're uploading
I still remember watching this with my little brother eight years ago; he was shaking and crying by the end because he was so scared of the dummies.
This is one of my favorite movies, and I love your analysis.
I didn’t know this was a box office flop because I heard about it sooo much growing up! It felt like everyone saw it in early 2000
I love this beautifully flawed horror gem. Thank you for covering it.
I still remember the scene where the step-mother makes the father talk, but I don't remember the title of the movie most of the time. I think it suffice to explain the best trait and worst flaw of this movie.
My Nostalgic Horror Movies:
Dead Silence
Stay Alive
House of Wax remake
13th Ghost
Ghost Ship
Omg. Stay Alive has just been buried and forgotten. I loved it as a kid. Frankie Munez character screaming, "that's cheating! I haven't even died yet!" still cracks me up when I think about it.
I actually agree entirely with all of those.
And my god Elisha Cuthbert in House of Wax. What happened to her? She was a goddess.
@@cutie3638 I'll always get chills down my spine when I hear that low buzzing from the game controller!..
You're goin like what I have in store for the rest of the year!
@@RyanHollinger I was going to like what you have coming this year either way, but now I'm just extra excited!
This film was a hit in younster in 2008 - 2009 in italy, i remember everyone was talking about this film and with good reason!
This was one of my favorite horror movies growing up!
Not a failure in this house. I watch it loyally, it’s genuinely one of my favourites. ❤️
Liked the movie a lot when it came out. I can not stress enough how important it is for this movie to be watched with a good 5.1 sound system in the dark.
Such an underrated film. It had so much potential and I hate it never really got the recognition it deserved
i felt like i was the only one that genuinely liked this movie when it first came out. i’m afraid of dolls soooo i guess that’s why
edit: wow thank you guys for the likes omg. keep this conversation going! tell me your thoughts
Same ! The jump scares really got me and sometimes still do lol
Same here. I'm not even scared of dolls though...maybe its because it was my first genuinely gory horror film I ever saw
No your not alone this movie is creepy af and I love it
User2758 it’s so underrated! it takes A LOT to scare me but this ONE movie about freaking dolls freaks me out every time. it reminds me of night of the living dummy. the cover of the original ones with slappy til this day gives me nightmares
One of the few movies ive seen jn theaters at night and made me stay up in fear
This was the first horror movie I saw in theaters and it will forever give me goosebumps. When the sound completely cuts the whole crowd was silent, it was a really powerful experience.
I remember this movie scared the shit out of me as a kid
I enjoyed this film for what it was, especially for the time it came out. It reminds me of the movie, Stay Alive, where it's not great but it has aesthetically pleasing scenes and villains that you remember. I still remember the Mary Shaw rhyme, and that parlor scene where the little boy knocks over her dead body still haunts me.
I've always thought of this movie as being very underrated and underappreciated. I absolutely loved and enjoyed it since the very first time I saw it.
reminds me of the goosebumps slappy series. i only read like 5 of them, but my favorite part was when the dummy was threatening the kid by strangling their family dog nearly to death. i also loved the themes of fear from childhood when your parents and adults at large wouldn't believe a single thing you said - you were guilty before proven innocent, even though the world was such a terrifying place when you're so helpless. i know a lot of people think goosebumps books are cheesy and stupid, i think they're all lit and i plan on rereading every single one at some point.
Just wanted to say I love your videos man - if you ever make any longer videos that would just be amazing
So Mary Shaw has a backstory that's very similar backstory to the original Freddy Krueger's backstory in that she was killed by the townspeople for killing a kid even though no evidence was found. In the end, it turned out both of them were guilty of the crime and just psychopaths, taking out any sympathy that could have been had for either of them. Nightmare On Elm Street succeeded though because their villain had a lot of charm to him, especially as the original series continued. Perhaps if they gave Mary a bit more of a charming/witty personality, it would have been different? She was a performer in life after all within the movie's context.
Honestly, I liked that Mary Shaw was guilty. I actually rarely enjoy stories where a ghost was innocent but became evil in death. Like, if you're gonna murder your murderer, that's one thing. But if seven generations later you're still killing random people, to me it feels like there's no point in having a backstory in the first place -- the motive is completely disconnected from the characters we're meant to care about, so why have one at all? At least in this there's a sense of tragedy in the textual acknowledgment that the victims we encounter are genuine innocents caught up in this irrational, unending bitterness of a cruel, violent person whose motive is both relevant and completely unsatisfactory. It's a better commentary on revenge, in my opinion.
I wouldn't mind seeing this as a franchise, maybe one or two more movies? I remember watching this with my cousin and clenching the chair I was sitting on whenever the scenes went quiet, its definitely one of my favorite ghost story films, the cinematography is gorgeous and gloomy and the score had a haunting childlike quality to it. Definitely worth a revisit.
I remember seeing this movie's poster in theaters when it came out when I was a kid It's called "El Titere" in spanish, the poster alone made me shit my pants back then.
JAJAJA te entiendo perfectamente
Watched this a few days ago with my mom, Just looked up to see if you made a video on this. Glad to see that you did
I remember seeing this and thinking "So that's where that song everyone uses on UA-cam comes from!"
I get it now that this movie may not be that scary, but as the first horror movie I ever watched it really scared me and to this day I have a big phobia of dolls. I still cannot keep my eyes on the screen whenever Billy is on.
Just wondering when you were a teen or college student did you do a lot of public speaking or narration? Love the narration as always
I even love the old creepy "Universal" logo before the film begins. Nice touch.
Please, PLEASE review "Haute tension" directed by Alexandre Aja (Mirrors, Hills have eyes). It's a great and brutal film and deserves more recognition.
I covered it in detail in my French Extremity video!
That “twist” was retarted af
I'm stoked that you covered this one, this was a household classic while I was growing up and it's still one of my favorites, not just cuz of nostalgia goggles but I enjoy how weirdly stylized it is and all it's flaws add a specific charm I feel.
I also kinda liked that Shaw was just a straight up, big headed bitch petty enough to kill a kid to make her fucked up doll. It makes it more scary-folklore feeling to me.
I haven't seen the movie and I never will because puppets are horrendously creepy, but that twist ending is terrible and amazing.
I don't remember much from this movie, but the image of the old man's hollowed-out body is scarred into my brain.
This movie made me overcome my fear of dolls. There were just so many of them that I had to be like ok I will never run into these things so I should be ok
This was one of my first horror movies as a kid. It’s not scary now but as a kid it gave me some very memorable nightmares. I love it
Man, I’ve been waiting for this for so damn long you don’t even know :)
I watched this a few years ago and thought that it was a nice change of pace from most horror films today. While still relying on jump scares, it still has genuinely creepy moments and scares solely from its atmosphere and with how easily Mary could fuck you over if she wanted to. The only thing I didn’t care for was the ending. You had it. He beat the ghost, the town was saved, and then you fuck it up with sequel bait. A very “last exorcism” type of ending if you will.
Unpopular opinion: I am really tired of this "villain is in fact the victim" thing. It is so overdone that the theme itself started to become a cliché. And I am glad some films like this do not follow the same path. Because some villains in real life are just evil for no apparent reason.
Horror movies were my childhood!I remember watching Dead silence on my laptop,in my bed while my mom was watching tv,so that I wouldn't get too scared.Good times,man...All my best memories from childhood are related to horror movies.I just ADORE your chanel!!!I hope the damn notification bell works well because I do not want to miss anything you post.
I appreciate that he's just 'Detective Donnie Walberg' as in, that is the character's name.
This movie is my cryptonite. Annabelle tries too hard with the whole Evil Doll stuff but this movie terrified me so much that even seeing it while scrolling through Netflix brings very unpleasant memories.
Damn. I got so excited when I saw the thumbnail lmao. I should stop telling my friends how much I love this & the first Black Christmas remake lol
I haven't watched this movie in years but have always seemed to hold it in high regard due to the fact that it kickstarted my love for horror when i was 14 years old watching a scary movie in my room by myself at night for the very first time
How about a review on Terrified (Aterrados)? An argentinian movie that I think is on Shudder
and netflix
The finale bit in the theatre with Jamie and Lipton freaks me out even now. Absolutely underrated film.
I could’ve sworn that there was a sequel named Deadlier Silence.
So I just watched this video about an hour ago, and the look on Mary Shaw's face is still with me. Like, I'm still cautiously opening doors because of this video. I really agree that the atmosphere and horror design aspects of this film trump any story telling problems it has. I watched this for the first time when I was 20 and I still was on the lookout for Mary Shaw before I turned out all the lights that night.
Love your style man
It’s actually strange I haven’t even heard of a horror film after 1994. You got me with this one.
This terrible movie scared the HELL out of me
Let’s create a support group and talk about it 👀
Same
Same here lol
*scares 😞
This movie terrified me when I first seen it as a teen, I love it still and it still freaks me out at 26 years old.
Well, I saw this movie when I was I think 14 ? And the scenes with Marry Saw scared the living shit out of me for years. I had nightmare about it, I wish they would revisit this movie cause it has so much potential
I just recently found this channel and hit the subscribe button so fast I almost sprained my finger. I absolutely love ALL horror from schlocky to spellbinding.
I used to own Dead Silence, I still might, and this movie creeps me the heck out. Ventriloquist dummies are legitimately creepy in their own right, but Mary Shaw was just so extra scary!
And the twist was such a surprise, I definitely forgot about it til you mentioned it. I sort of wish I had rewatched it first. Lol.
The executive meddling was so bad Leigh Whannell vented a scathing review of his experience on his blog which has been removed. Would've been cathartic to read but we wouldn't have got Upgrade and The Invisible Man.
Super happy you're talking about this movie! Thanks!
No one:
Irish people: *HOYEVER*
The real reason I like your channel so much is that I don't enjoy horror movies at all. I can barely watch any horror movies, yet through your videos I can get a large part of the movies.
God I hated this film, this and goosebumps gave me serious discomfort around puppets
But that's what you're supposed to LIKE about a horror movie silly.
that feeling is the reason I love it, i couldn't sleep well when I was younger, but I ended up loving this movie xd